The Kogi state executive council of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ratified the nomination of Mr. Benson Omofe as new zonal chairman of the party.
Benson replaces Barr Taiwo Kola-Ojo who died in January while playing tennis.
The new Kogi West zonal chairman hails from same town, Okoro Gbede in Ijumu local government, as his predecessor.
Thirteen out of fifteen ward chairmen in Ijumu local government area adopted the nomination of Benson as zonal vice chairman.
His nomination, however, did not come with schemes and counter schemes by party leaders in Ijumu.
PDP elders in Ijumu were sharply divided on the choice of zonal vice chairman. It was reliably gathered that party leaders, including Senator Dino Melaye, Hon. Abiodun Ojo, Prince Olusola Akanmode, Arc Idris Salman among others had separate candidates for the party position.
However, ward chairmen of the party, citing sections 46(3) and 46(7) of the PDP constitution which stipulates that: “where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the Party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the same area or zone where the officer originated from, pending the conduct of election to fill the vacancy”, nominated Benjamin as replacement for late Kola-Ojo.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting of the Kogi state executives of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lokoja on Tuesday, the SEC officially announced replacement of the vacant positions in the state executive.
The communiqué signed the state secretary of the party, Hon. Bode Ogunmola stated that Prince Benson omofe from Okoro/Odokoro/Araromi ward in Ijumu local government area was appointed as the new state vice chairman (West)
Also, Ibrahim Abdulmumini from Adavi local government area was also appointed as the State Assistant Legal Adviser.
“These appointments were made in accordance with section 47(6) of PDP constitution which empowers the party executive at the appropriate level to make such appointment from the area where the vacancy occur and the last occupant originated from.
“The party equally observed keenly the principle of zoning of party positions as earlier agreed at State caucus before the last state Congress that status quo ante. It will however amount to injustice to deprive any ward or zone to present a replacement to serve out the tenure,” the communiqué read.
The party directed Idah local government executive to forward the name of the person nominated from the ward of the deceased to the state Executive for ratification.
